5 Rules For Life: Paintbox CEO Eleanor Langston

Eleanor Langston, CEO & Founder of Paintbox (@paintboxnails) is a former magazine editor who can drop some serious product knowledge and uses it wisely to cultivate a perfectly edited selection of polishes at her salon. Her reinvention from writer/editor to entrepreneur is fascinating, so I asked her to share her Five Rules For Life. Here they are:

1. A sense of urgency will take you far.

It’s my number-one advice for interns and people early in their career. Having a sense of urgency is extremely valuable in this fast-paced world, and it will truly help you excel at any gig.

2. Kindness is the most underrated virtue.

Now that I have a two-year-old, I often think about what I values want to instill in my son, and my utmost hope for him is that he’s kind. It’s such a simple character attribute but an insanely critical one. I try to teach him this every day in little ways, such as saying thanks for anyone opening a door or letting others get off the elevator first.

3. Work hard, play hard.

And by play, I mostly mean travel. There are countless studies on the mental, emotional, and even physical rewards of a much-needed vacation, and it’s a tragedy that many Americans don’t take their paid vacation days. Both the anticipation of a trip and the days unplugged are equally important to me, and I’ve realized over the years that (for me) it doesn’t have to be a super long trip–even a couple of days or a weekend away does the trick in rebooting my creativity, drive, and tenacity.

4. Zero in.

Whether you’re a blogger, writer, entrepreneur, or really any occupation or anyone with an Instagram account, it’s important to be hyper-focused with your vision. I learned this lesson at Cosmopolitan and Fitness – every single word needed to reflect the magazine’s goal. When it comes to my business – Paintbox – it’s all about manicures. That’s our lens every single day, and it’s easy to get distracted by tie-ins and collaborations that aren’t necessarily the right fit. We have to stay focused on doing one thing – manicures – and doing that incredibly well.

5. Never Stop Exploring.

This motto is framed in my son’s room, and it’s so important! Having this mindset of sheer wonder throughout life will take you a long way in terms of overall happiness. Get lost. Find your way back. Repeat. And don’t forget to laugh along the way!

“Five Rules For Life” is a series on Rouge18 in which I ask others to share their five rules for life about anything and everything. You can learn a lot about a person by reading which five things govern their actions, no?